Old Santa Fe Mexican Grille to Take Over Former Zocalo Spot

Zocalo Restaurant and Bar went dark on East 11th Avenue in August after being seized by the Colorado Department of Revenue for unpaid taxes. There haven’t been many signs of life since an auction in early September, but now a sign has appeared in the window indicating that the space…

A Walking Tour of Three LoHi Eateries Serving Foie Gras

California’s two-year ban on the production and sale of foie gras, the fattened duck or goose liver subject to heated animal welfare debates, ended this week as U.S. District Judge Stephen V. Wilson ruled that the law contradicts existing federal poultry regulations. California voters originally approved the ban in 2004,…

The Chowder Room Brings Maritime Charm to Broadway

Matt and Carrie Stein ladled up the first bowl of clam chowder yesterday at the Chowder Room, one of the first Denver restaurants to open in 2015. We stopped by to check out the quaint maritime-themed dining room, the soups — there will be three daily plus a vegan “chowder”…

Shipp Brothers Buy Majority Ownership of Wazee Supper Club

The Wazee Supper Club turned forty last fall. It predates all the hipness, all the gentrification of LoDo — in fact, it predates when lower downtown was tagged with that nickname. Over the years, the Wazee has been a neighborhood hangout for everyone from artists to sports fans to Westword…

Thirty Amazing Colorado Beers From 2014

With more than 250 breweries in Colorado, it’s hard to get a good sampling of everything that is being made — even over the course of an entire year (see my list from 2013 as well). It gets even more difficult because our state’s prodigious craft-beer makers are constantly turning…

The Chowder Room Opens Today, Serving a Variety of Clam Soups

During 23 years in the seafood industry, you build a lot of connections and develop a solid foundation of knowledge for sourcing the best fish for a restaurant. Chef Matt Stein is putting all that experience and knowledge to good use at the Chowder Room, his restaurant that opens tonight…

Happy Hour at El Chingon Serves Up Some Badass Snacks

El Chingon fits well on the newly-revitalized Tennyson Street in Berkeley. A badass concept that relocated from a strip mall in Arvada to a converted cottage, it’s a potent stew of classic Mexican cooking (from the recipes of executive chef David Lopez’s grandma, who shares his title) and bistro-style elegance…

Calibration Dinner Kicks Off Big Beers Festival in Vail Tonight

The Big Beers, Belgians and Barley Wines Festival will kick off a weekend of beer and brewing in Vail today. The fifteenth annual edition includes thirteen workshops and seminars, as well as brewmasters’ dinners and a welcome reception (for participating brewers only) that will feature craft-beer and food pairings. See…

Rioja Will Close Friday for a Three-Week Remodeling Job

Rioja celebrated its tenth anniversary in November, and now it’s taking some time off for a facelift so that it can enjoy its second decade with a fresh look. Owners Jen Jasinski and Beth Gruitch are closing up their Larimer Square favorite on Friday and will reopen on February 2…

La Casa de Manuel Is Back From a Holiday Break

La Casa de Manuel reopened yesterday after a holiday break — and after close to six decades in business, it deserved one. Manuel Silva’s modest Mexican joint got its start at 20th and Larimer streets, where it lasted for forty years, until Coors Field opened nearby and the area started…

Comida Cantina Still Pleases With a Winter Brunch Menu

The Source is one of Denver’s hottest artisan food markets and has also garnered plenty of national praise since opening in 2013. Among the fifteen merchants, Comida Cantina, a modern taqueria that transformed into a permanent storefront from its modest Mexican taco-truck beginnings, is the only one open for brunch…

City Stacks Books and Coffee Now Pouring Downtown

City Stacks Books and Coffee opened in December on a block of Wazee Street downtown previously short on retail establishments. Father and son owners Kevin and Ben Gillies are aiming for a neighborhood coffeehouse ambiance with a selection of books geared toward city dwellers — think architecture, design, sustainable food…

Leña Opens a New World of Cooking for Chef Toby Prout

Chef Toby Prout and Jimmy Callahan, co-owners of Leña on Broadway, started planning the pan-Latin American menu for their new restaurant months before they even found the location, much less started construction. The two traveled to California and sampled their way through some of the state’s top Mexican, Central American…